ENPLC history

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, released in May 2020, marks a significant commitment by the European Commission to intensify the conservation and restoration of ecosystems across the EU. Under the European Green Deal, this strategy aims to expand protected areas and introduce a comprehensive EU Nature Restoration Plan, addressing the urgent need to reverse biodiversity loss and integrate nature into citizens’ lives more profoundly. This initiative reflects the EU’s ambition to lead globally in environmental preservation and sustainable development by the decade’s end.

By designating 30% of EU land and sea areas as protected zones, with a subset of 10% under strict protection, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets ambitious goals to conserve biodiversity. Achieving this expansive Trans-European Nature Network necessitates collaboration with private landowners and conservation NGOs.

In 2016, the European Commission launched a LIFE call, initiating two significant projects by 2017: LIFE L.I.F.E. and LIFE ELCN. These projects were designed to explore the potential for private land conservation within the EU and identify necessary tools to support this goal for individual landowners and conservation organisations, respectively. This initiative marks a pivotal step in integrating private lands into broader conservation efforts across the EU, underscoring the crucial role of diverse stakeholders in achieving environmental sustainability goals.

Building on the identified potential during these two preparatory projects, ELO and Eurosite joined forces in a common follow-up project which was launched in 2020: The Life European Networks for Private Land Conservation (Life ENPLC).

By bringing together the two most important communities in private land conservation within a common structure, the Life ENPLC project contributes directly to more recognition of private land conservation (PLC) and an improved knowledge transfer between nature NGOs and private landowners in both directions.